Film Name: ‘Mr. M’ / ‘Troma Versus Witches’
Director: Tony Mardon
Writer: Tony Mardon
Mr. M – Thrown out by his wife, Mr M, seeking solace, finds himself in a most unusual shop, owned by an equally unusual shopkeeper. It is here that his real adventure begins, finding himself amongst castles, wizards, singing minstrels, masturbating knights and a beautiful princess… but adventures can’t last… or can they?
Troma Versus Witches – Sneaking into a Tromaville midnight showing of The Witches of the Sands, the cast and crew are confronted by an angry audience of Tromaville residents, unhappy with the poor quality of the movie they have paid to see… which is actually very rude of them as it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get a movie made…
In a new interview on Blazing Minds ahead of the world premiere at Horror-on-Sea, I got a chance to ask writer/director Tony Mardon a few questions about his short films Mr. M & Troma Versus Witches.
Mr. M & Troma Versus Witches will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January at 22:30hrs
Q. You have two short films which have been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from each film?
A. Mr. M lampoons the 1970s cartoon Mr Benn whilst making a statement about my own journey making The Witches of the Sands.
Troma Versus the Witches is exactly that; the premise being that The Witches of the Sands is being shown in Tromaville much to the inhabitants annoyance!
Q. Troma Versus Witches suggests a cross over between Lloyd Kaufmans independent film company ‘Troma’ and your highly anticipated feature film ‘The Witches of the Sands’. How did this cross over occur and can we expect to see this short included as part of the main feature?
A. I got in touch with Lloyd, who makes a brief appearance in Witches, about using his characters in the scene and he was very keen. He allowed us to use any Troma characters with the exception of Toxie (due to the remake) but we still reference him in it. As they watch Witches in the cinema, they become increasingly frustrated with the quality of the film, this enabled us to use some of the early, less professional shots we filmed all those years ago at the beginning…….All the animated scenes will feature in Witches.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for the films?
A. Regarding Mr. M I had previously written a short poem that I wanted to see animated. The Mr. M aspect came from my experiences making Witches- Separating from my wife, meeting Lauren (now my fiancee) and finally being happy. It’s a journey. There is something terribly sad about the Mr. Benn character and I wanted to bring that into Witches. There is also a very funny song in the middle though!
Troma Vs Witches, the influence was Troma, Toxic Crusaders especially. It’s fun to write for the characters I watched growing up. And of course we have Lloyd and the cast and crew of Witches featuring too.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of each film?
A. Mr. M the aesthetics were taken directly from the Mr. Benn TV show. Seeing willies and adult scenes drawn in the style of a well known children’s show is a great juxtaposition.
Troma Versus The Witches I wanted the look of a 90s animated show along the lines of Toxic Crusaders. I worked closely with the legend who is animator Mark Stewart– working with him is a pleasure. I should mention Cy Henty, Lobby Lud, Craigus Barry and Matthew Harper for the soundscapes. The Troma theme is fantastic as is the score for Mr. Benn…and wait until you hear the song in Mr. Benn- it’s so funny.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Scripts?? HA HA. Well yes. Both changed a lot throughout. Something would pop into either mine or Mark’s head and in it went. There is a lot going on in the background as well as the main action. So many film references and nods to people it got hard to keep track.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Every time Mark sent me a new section to look at I was like a kid in a sweet shop. So exciting. Likewise with the sound. There are certain parts that stand out but I don’t want to give anything away.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Not really- We encountered a problem or two with the flow of Troma Vs Witches but we soon found solutions.
Q. What makes these films stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. Mr. M is a fantastical journey in many senses. It’s heart-warming but also very funny (and very rude). Troma Vs Witches is a more traditional (but actually even ruder) approach to horror and was fun to marry the Troma characters up with Witches characters.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. That The Witches of the Sands has a lot to offer.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I have just acted in Sam Mason Bell’s new film and am hoping to do a little more acting this year. I will be in Darner, written by Lauren Barnett, later in the year. Lauren and I are also writing a book together. Getting Witches finished is a priority though.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Write a script before starting. Don’t do it for other people, make the film you want to.
Mr. M & Troma Versus Witches will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January at 22:30hrs
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
